Car-coupling



(No Model.)

T. L. MOKEEN. GAR COUPLING.

No. 445,817. Patented Feb. 3,1891.

I1 venlbr: M4,. .UK M

n12 "cams Farms ca, mo-ru-umo., wasmucrom a. c.

NITED STATES PATE rrron.

THOMAS L. MOKEEN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE THURMOND CARCOUPLING COMPANY, OF EST VIRGINIA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 445,817, dated February3, 1891.

Application filed October 25, 1890. Serial No. 369,348. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS L. MCKEEN, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Couplings forRailway-Cars; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to car-couplers, and is more especially applicableto that class of couplers called the twin-jaw type.

The object of my invention is to provide for certain structuralimprovements in the coupler described in Letters Patent No. 431,415,dated July 1, 1890, and Letters Patent N 0. 430,709, dated June 24,1890.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings, wherein the same partsare indicated by the same letters.

Figure 1 represents a top plan view showing two of my couplings hookedtogether, the one to the right being shown in projection and the one tothe left being shown in section made by the horizontal plane 3 y, Fig.2. Fig. 2 represents a vertical section made in the right-hand coupler,Fig. 1, by the plane 00 m. Fig. 3 represents a section made by thehorizontal plane 3 1 Fig. 2. Fig. 4 represents a perspective view of mycoupling-hook removed from the coupler. Fig. 5 represents a perspectiveView of my improved locking-bar. Fig. 6 represents a cross-section ofthe same, made by the planez 2, Fig. 5. Figs. 7 and 8 represent views ofmy improved coupling-pin, Fig. 7 being shown in perspective and Fig. 8in cross-section.

My improved coupler consists of three parts-the draw-bar A, the draft orcoupling hook 13, and the locking bar or bolt 0.

The draw-bar proper A is cast hollow, and may be connected with the carin any convenient way. On the front end of the draw-bar A is thedraw-head A, thatis provided with two jaws A and A to receive theadjacent coupler. The draw-head A is constructed so that the process ofannealing the cast coupler may be as uniformly carried outas possible,in order to obtain as far as practicable a coupler having uniformstrength in its various parts. The lines of curvature and the formationof the jaws are also so chosen as to ofier the greatest strength withthe least weight of metal. This jaw A is provided with ears of, betweenwhich the hook Bis pivot-ed, as usual. The bearings or cars a for thehook and the pivot-pin D are of such a diameter or so located relativelyto the outer lateral face of the jaw A as to form a bearing-surface forthe shoulder b of the hook B, limiting the backward throw thereof.

The coupler shown in section in Fig. 3 is represented as being open,ready for coupling. Now when another coupler on a car coming in thedirection shown by the arrow strikes the nose I), Fig. 3,the hook tendsto turn rapidly on the pivot-pin D, and the rear face I) would strikethe inner face a of the draw-bar with considerable violence, tending tocrack the comparatively thin cast-iron forming that part of thedraw-head. To obviate any accidents therefrom we have a curved lug bengaging in the curved slot a both curves be ing segments of circleshaving a common center D. This curved lug does not go entirely acrossthe cheek of the hook, but ends in a shoulder 5 which takes against thewall a at the end of the slot a just before the face If would come intocontact with the face a". By this arrangement I have the effect of thegreat structural strength of the lug b striking in the direction of itsdepth against a thick wall, in lieu of a heavy blow being deliveredby 1) against a thin wall a Moreover, the lug b alsostill continues toact as in the coupler described in Letters Patent N 0. 431,415, datedJuly 1, 1890, as an auxiliary means of receiving the drawing and buffingstrain and keeping the cars coupled should the pivot-pin D be broken,worn, or be even out altogether. The lips Z7 b of the nose of the hook Bare rounded to allow the link, when link-and-pin couplings are used, toenter freely, and they are perforated with the hole b for the admissionof the pin to hold the said link.

The locking-bar C (see Fig. 5) is shown in cross-section in Fig. 6. Thislocking-bar slides in a vertical slot in the draw-bar, having a similarbut slightly larger cross-section than that shown in Fig. 6. The cap 0not only acts as an extra stop to keep the locking-bar from slipping toofar down in the slot, but it also serves to keep particles of snow, ice,cinders, &c., from getting down in between the faces of the slot and ofthe locking-bar. The shoulders c and c" of the locking-bar also takeagainst the face If and shoulder I) of the hook, respectively, thuslimiting the motion of the locking-bar downward when the hook is locked,while the shoulder c catches against the under face I) of the hook andacts as a guide for the lockingbar when coupling or uncoupling. O is cutaway at c to allow the rear face Z1 of the hook to pass just clear of Oin coupling and uncoupling. This space 0 is slightly wider than the rearface of the hook I) and" is in position for the passage of b when 0touches b \Vhen the coupler is locked, the faces I) and Z2 are held bythe faces c and 0, respectively, and the hook B cannot turn in the pivotD.

The bottom 0 of G is rounded somewhat to allow the easy entrance of thelocking-bar in its slot. Near the bottom I have a shelf 0 of a depthequal to the height of the lug a, Fig. 2. The slot for the locking-barbeing somewhat larger than the bar itself leaves a slight play of thebar in the said slot, and by causing the shelf 0 Fig. 5, to rest on theshelf a, Fig. 2, when the coupler is open, as in Fig. 3, it will besupported in place and at the same time will be in position to allow theface 12 to fiy back through the score 0 as in coupling togethertwo cars;but this motion backward of Z1 will knock the shelf 0 from its supportand will cause the locking-bar to drop into place as soon as b and Z1are thrown under 0 and 0 respectively, thus working automatically.

I c is a lug on the end of the locking-bar for the lifting-chain; butany suitable means may be employed for manipulating the locking-bar fromthe side or from the top of the cars or from the platform thereof incoupling or uncoupling.

The coupler may be used as a link-and-pin coupler either by means of theforked nose of the hook with the hole 6 as already described, or thehook may be removed and the ordinary link-pin may be used to shackle alink to the draw-head A.

To prevent any accidents due to the use of the ordinary link-pins, whichare almost invariably somewhat bent from use and require to be driveninto the knuckle, greatly endangering the splitting of the cast-iron, Ihave invented a new form of pin made of steel and intended to bepermanently attached to the coupler, which I have described and claimedin another application to be filed herewith. This hook has near itsouter end pin-holes b between which is the link-opening.

The pin D, which is placed within the pinhole W, is provided with alongitudinal groove 0r recess E, extending from a point near its top toits bottom. A transverse aperture I-l is 'cut through the pin D to thegroove or recess E, which it intersects at a point near the bottom ofthe pin. Vithin this aperture H is inserted the plug I, the ends ofwhich are fiush with the cylindrical surface of the pin D. A boss K isformed upon the upper part of the hook, which projects into the pin-holeand is of such size and shape as to fit accurately within thelongitudinal groove or recess formed in the pin. It will readily be seenthat the slot may be cast in the hook and the boss be on the pin,whereby the same effect would be obtained and the pin be strengthenedsomewhat.

The pin is easily fitted in the required position by causing the lowerend of the groove E to register with the boss K,- and then lowering ituntil the shoulder e at the upper end of the recess E rests upon theboss. hen the pin has been lowered to such an extent that the aperture His within the link-opening, the plug I may be inserted within it.

It is evident from the foregoing construction that the downward movementof the pin D will be limited by the contact of the stop e with the upperside of the boss K, and that the length of its upward movement will bedetermined by the contact of the endv of the plug I, which projects intothe recess E, with. the lower side of the said boss. The plug I shouldtherefore be located at such a distance from the bottom of the pin thatin raising the latter it would pass clear of the link or link-opening.

I claim 1. In a twin-jaw coupler, the combination of a hollow draw-headhaving ears thereon and a circular recess therein, said recessterminating before reaching the wall of the hollow draw-head, and holesin the said ears for a pivotpin, with a nose-plate pivoted on the saidpin and between the said ears, said noseplate having a circular lugengaging in the circular recess in the draw-head, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a twin coupler, the combination of a hollow draw-head A, havingears a a thereon, and a recess a formiu g an arc of a circle whosecenter is that of the pivot-pin D, said recess terminating in a wall aaway from the .wall of the hollow coupler, with a nose-plate B, pivotedon the pin D and engaging in the ears a a of the draw-head A, saidnose-plate having curved lug b engaging in the recess a with a shoulderI) engaging a, substantially as described.

3. In a twin coupler, the combination of a hollow draw-head A, havingears a a thereon, and a recess a forming an arc of a circle whose centeris that of the pivot-pin D, said recess terminating in a wall a awayfrom the wall of the hollow coupler, with a nose-plate B, pivoted on thepin D and engaging in the ears a a of the draw-head A, said nose-platehaving a curved lug b engaging in the recess a with a shoulder 12engaging a and having a hole in the nose, and rounded lips in IIO thesaid nose for link-and-pin coupling, snbflanges which engage in the saidrecesses-as stantially as described. and for the purposes described. to

4. In atwin-jaw car-coupler, a draw-head In testimony WhereofI affix mysignaturein having arc-shaped recesses formed in the roof presence oftwo Witnesses.

and floor thereof, which terminate at a point THOMAS L. MCKEEN. removedfrom the lateral wall of the coupler, Witnesses:

in combination with a hook pivoted in the M. M. LYDDY,

draw head and provided with arc-shaped A. H. FORD.

